Tuesday, September 14, 2010

A Case for Captaincy: Five Players who Could be the Next Captain of the Montreal Canadiens

Today in a press conference Montreal Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier stated that the Canadiens will have a Captain this season.  However Gauthier did not say who the team was leaning towards just that numerous players are being evaluated for the position.  With that in mind here are five players on the Habs roster that could wear the C next season.

Andrei Markov:  Markov has spent nine seasons with the Canadiens and was an assistant captain last season.  Markov expects the best from his teammates and will let them know when he doesn’t approve of their effort (such as a verbal confrontation last season with Carey Price after a loss).  Markov could miss some time at the start of this season recovering from injury but he is still one of the most respected players in the Canadiens dressing room.  Markov quarterbacks the PP as good as anyone in the league and he chipped in offensively to the tune of 34 points in 45 games last season.  Markov is the longest serving member of the Canadiens currently on the roster which should give him an edge.

Josh Gorges:  Once considered a throw in as a part of the deal that sent Craig Rivet to San Jose Josh Gorges has become a true leader and shutdown defenseman in the NHL.  Gorges is another well respected voice in the Canadiens dressing room and along with Hall Gill was a part of blocking shots and stopping the oppositions top players during last seasons playoff run.  Gorges has been a leader at every level of hockey that he’s played in and could be the next Canadian captain of the Canadiens.

Hall Gill:  Hall Gill is a veteran with a Stanley Cup ring who knows what it takes to win in the playoffs.  Gill sacrifices his body on a night in night out basis and is a journeyman who commands respect from his teammates.  Although Gill has his shortcomings he gives 100% effort every night and could mentor the Canadiens youngsters quite well.  Gill also wore an A for the Canadiens last season.

Brian Gionta:  Don’t let his little frame fool you Brian Gionta is willing to go to the dirty areas to score goals.  Gionta was also an assistant captain for the Habs last season and he has a Stanley Cup ring from his time with the Devils.  Gionta is a veteran who is respected and gives 100% effort, he also is one of the Habs go to players and many Captains are who their teammates are looking for to make plays in crunch time. 

Mike Cammalleri:  Cammalleri similar to Gionta is a little guy who’s willing to sacrifice his body to score goals, and when his teammates see this they want to do the same.  Cammalleri was the Canadiens go to goal scorer in the playoffs last season and was seen mentoring the likes of Subban and Kostitsyn during games.  Cammalleri lifted the whole city of Montreal with his play reminding fans of Lafleur and Shutt.  Cammalleri is the Habs best player and commonly a team’s best player is their Captain since they are looked to for big goals.  As we saw during last seasons playoff run Cammalleri can score big goals.         

    

Saturday, September 4, 2010

The Montreal Canadiens Top Ten Prospects

P.K Subban: It was a tough decision if P.K. should be considered a prospect or not considering he is clearly NHL ready, but for now he’ll count as a prospect. Subban played in only 2 NHL regular season games last season scoring 2 assists in them. Subban then took the league by storm in the playoffs scoring 1 goal and 8 points in 14 GP while shutting down the likes of Crosby and Ovechkin. Subban was also elected to the AHL All Star Team last season as well as winning the AHL’s Presidents Award as AHL MVP.




Lars Eller: A former St. Louis Blues 1st round selection the Canadiens acquired Eller in the Jaroslav Halak trade. Eller scored 2 goals in 7 games with the Blues last season and 57 points in 70 GP in the AHL last season. Eller was also a member of the AHL all-rookie team last season and will compete for a full time spot on the Habs roster.



Louis Leblanc: Leblanc was the Canadiens 1st round selection in the 2009 entry draft. Leblanc played at Harvard last season scoring 11 goals 12 assists for 23 points, good enough to lead his team in all categories. Leblanc also won Ivy League rookie of the year and was one of the final cuts of Team Canada’s World Junior team. Leblanc will play this season for the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the QMJHL in order to play more games and increase his chances of making the World Juniors squad.



Danny Kristo: Kristo has the Canadiens 1st selection in the 2008 draft (56th overall). Kristo has great speed and skill and was a member of the Gold Medal winning USA World Junior team. Kristo is a bit undersized but should add weight to his frame over the next few years. Kristo is currently playing at the University of North Dakota of the NCAA.



Jared Tinordi: Tinordi was the Canadiens 1st round selection 22nd overall in the 2010 entry draft. Last season Tinordi captained the US NTDP Under-18 team where he had 5 goals and 13 points in 56 games. Tinordi is known for his defensive ability and will play next season with the London Knights of the OHL.



Alexander Avtsin: Avtsin was selected by the Habs in the 4th round 109th overall in the 2009 entry draft. Avtsin is a big body at 6-2 and 198 lbs and has recently signed an entry level contract with the Canadiens. Avtsin scored 56 goals and 110 points as a member of Dynamo Moskva last season.



Yannick Weber: Weber was selected by the Canadiens 73rd overall in the 2007 entry draft. Weber was an integral part of the Kitchener Rangers 2008 Memorial Cup runners up. Weber is known for his ability to chip in offensively from the back end. In the 2008-09 season Weber made the AHL All Star team after tallying 18 goals and 44 points in 68 GP. Last season however was not as good; Weber scored only 32 points in 65 GP and was a minus 5 in the 5 NHL games he played last season.



Aaron Palushaj: Palushaj was selected by the St. Louis Blues 44th overall in the 2007 entry draft and was acquired by the Habs in a deal for Matt D’Agostini. In 2008-09 Palushaj scored 50 points while playing for the University of Michigan which was good for 2nd in the CCHA. Last season Palushaj scored 32 points in 62 games between Peoria and Hamilton of the AHL.



Brendan Gallagher: Gallagher was selected by the Canadiens in the 5th round 147th overall in the 2010 entry draft. Gallagher was invited to Team Canada’s World Junior Summer Evaluation Camp this summer. Gallagher scored 41 goals and 81 points in 72 GP with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL last season, good for 16th in league scoring. Although Gallagher is small a 5’9’’ it’s hard to argue with his production.



Mathieu Carle: Carle was selected in the 2nd round 53rd overall in the 2006 entry draft. Due to injury Carle only played 31 games in the AHL last season scoring 5 goals and 15 points. Carle also played in 3 games for the Canadiens last season failing to record a point. Carle has all the tools to be a top 4 defenseman in the future for the Habs if he puts his mind to it as his focus is a question mark.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Big Shoes to Fill: Replacing Clausen and Tate at Notre Dame

The Brian Kelly era will officially start at Notre Dame in two days when the Boilermakers travel to South Bend. Kelly has fans excited about ND football again after the Irish have fallen on rough times over the last few years. Kelly’s biggest challenge this season other than installing his new system is to replace to of the best players at their positions in the history of Notre Dame football, Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate. Clausen was the #1 recruit in the country coming out of high school in California and was committed to bringing Notre Dame a National Championship. Although that never materialized Clausen is still one of the best quarterbacks in Notre Dame’s history, Clausen completed 62.6% of his passes for 8148 yards 60 touchdowns and 27 interceptions during his Notre Dame career. Now that Clausen is gone the new man in charge is redshirt sophomore Dayne Crist. Crist threw for 130 yards 1 TD and 1 INT while appearing in 4 games for the Irish last season. Crist ran a similar offence in high school that he will run under Coach Kelly this year, which should work in his favor. Crist like Clausen was a very highly touted recruit out of California and hopefully he to can go down as a great QB at Notre Dame.




The other key playmaker Notre Dame lost on offence to the NFL is Golden Tate. Last seasons Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver Tate crushed opposing defenses all of last season with his ability to find open space and be next to impossible to tackle. It helped Tate that defense’s also needed to worry about Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph who will both be returning this season. Tate was recruited out of Tennessee as a RB before switching to receiver, a path similar to the man that might replace him New Jersey’s Theo Riddick. Riddick is among many candidates for Tate’s old job alongside Michael Floyd. Other players vying for the spot are Duval Kumara, TJ Jones, John Goodman, and Deion Walker.



Tate and Clausen will go down as two of the greatest ever to play at ND, but now it’s time for the next era of Notre Dame Football stars to be born, starting on Saturday September 4th against in state rival Purdue.

Monday, August 30, 2010

The Top 10 Defenseman in the NHL

1. Drew Doughty: Doughty scored 16 goals and 59 points last season while playing in all 82 games. Doughty was also a plus 20 and played for the Gold Medal winning Canadian Olympic team. Doughty is only 20 years old and will only get better.


2. Duncan Keith: Keith scored 14 goals and 69 points last season while helping the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. Keith was also a member of Team Canada’s Gold Medal Olympic team. Keith took home the Norris trophy last season and at 27 he’s in the prime of hi career.

3. Shea Weber: Often forgotten since he plays in Nashville Weber is quietly one of the best defenseman in the NHL. Scoring 43 points in 78 GP last season Weber proves he can score and shutdown top forwards with his physical play. Weber is also in his prime at 25 and has one of the hardest shots in the NHL. Weber is yet another member of this list on Team Canada’s Gold Medal winning team.

4. Chris Pronger: Pronger is 35 and seems to get better with age. He played in all 82 games for the Flyers last season scoring 55 points. Pronger was also a +22 and can shutdown anybody in the NHL thanks to his huge frame and ability to make the smart play with the puck. Pronger also played for Canada in the Olympics.

5. Mike Green: Green led all defenseman in scoring last season 19 goals and 76 points in only 75 GP. Green also was an amazing plus 39 last season for the Caps. Green does have some shortcomings in his own zone at times but is a catalyst offensively. At only 24 Green is still young and will be a force for a long time to come.

6. Dan Boyle: Another Canadian Olympian Boyle is 34 and still a force. Boyle scored 58 points in 76 games last season for the Sharks. Boyle can move the puck with the best of them in the NHL and is also able to shutdown the oppositions top players as Boyle was a plus 6 last season.

7. Nicklas Lidstrom: Lidstrom is one of the best defensman of his generation. Lidstrom is 40 years old now but he still scored 49 points last season and was a plus 22. Lidstrom has been the constant in the Red Wings success over the last decade and if he was younger would be at the top of this list.

8. Brent Seabrook: Seabrook is the other half of the Blackhawks top pairing. Seabrook is in his prime at 25 years old and was a member of the Canadian Olympic Team. Seabrook posted 30 points and was a plus 20 in 78 games for the Blackhawks last season.

9. Andrei Markov: Markov is one of the best puck movers in the NHL. He has been the constant in the Habs power play success over the last few seasons. Markov played in only 45 games last season due to injury but still managed 34 points and was a plus 11. Markov is 31 and a pending UFA, he can expect a raise.

10. Sergei Gonchar: The now Ottawa Senator Gonchar is an offensive machine. Gonchar scored 50 points in 62 GP last season but was a minus player. Gonchar is 36 but can still run a PP with the best.

Honarable Mention: Tyler Myers: The Calder Trophy winning Myers will be on this list if he proves his rookie year wasn’t a fluke. You don’t see guys the size of Myers skate the way he does everyday.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Ten Things to Expect from the Montreal Canadiens 2010-2011 Season

1. Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta to score 30 goals: Last season Cammalleri and Gionta scored 26 and 28 goals respectively in injury shortened seasons. If they can both stay healthy and continue to build on the chemistry they showed in the playoffs Cammalleri and Gionta showed both crack the 30 goal mark.

2. P.K. Subban to make a run at the Calder Trophy: Subban played in only two regular season games last season tallying two assists. In the playoffs Subban took the NHL by storm with his incredible ability to create offence from the back end as well as help shutdown the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby. Though Subban is turnover prone expect him to get that in check and become an even more dynamic player.

3. Scott Gomez to continue to not be worth the money: Gomez has one of the worst contracts in the NHL. Gomez scored 59 points last season good for the 2nd line center he is but not for the over $7 million he is due to be paid next season. If Gomez can stay healthy he should benefit from giving the puck to Cammalleri and Gionta but he’ll need to drastically elevate his numbers to be worthy of his contract.

4. Thomas Plekanec to suffer a drop-off in his production: Last season Plekanec lead the Canadiens in scoring with 25 goals and 70 points which earned him a nice raise. Plekanec’s numbers dropped after the first few games in the playoffs when he was targeted as the guy to shutdown. With Plekanec seeing the other teams’ top defenseman and checking forwards every night expect his numbers to take a slight hit.

5. The Habs to miss Andrei Markov: Markov is the backbone of the Canadiens defense. He moves the puck from the backend as well as anyone in the NHL as well as running the power play at a very high level. P.K. Subban can fill in for Markov but he’ll need help carrying the load. Statistics show that the Habs’ record suffers without Markov in the lineup.

6. Alex Auld to prove the perfect backup to Carey Price: Auld is a journeyman goaltender who knows what it takes to succeed in the NHL. Auld has played for 8 teams in the NHL and is a true backup who won’t mind sitting behind Price. Auld can also teach Price some tricks of the trade and mentor him on what it takes to be an NHL goalie. Auld can also carry the load for a decent period of time if Price goes down to injury or falters.

7. Carey Price to establish himself as a true #1 Goalie in the NHL: Price no longer has to look over his shoulder now that Jaroslav Halak is gone. Price knows this is his team now and he can run with it. With a veteran goalie in Alex Auld behind him Price will have a voice to listen to in rough times that may occur. Price has all the tools to be a #1 now it’s time to realize his potential as the Habs will go as far as he takes them.

8. Andrei Kostitsyn to score 25 goals: Kostitsyn had his season shortened to 59 games last season due to injury in which he scored 15 times. If Kostitsyn can enjoy a full year of health he can help take the load off of Thomas Plekanec on their line and score 25 goals with ease.

9. Lars Eller to crack the lineup and be on the PP: Eller is the main piece the Canadiens got in return for Jaroslav Halak. He is a promising young Danish prospect. Eller should crack the Habs lineup if not right away at some points during the season. Eller is an extremely gifted playmaker who could find his way on the PP in order to give the puck to the Habs gifted scorers. Eller scored 2 goals in a brief 7 game tryout at the end of the season for the Blues. Hopefully he can take that form to Montreal this year.

10. Josh Gorges to establish himself as the next Captain of the Montreal Canadiens: Gorges played great hockey in the postseason last year while paired with Hal Gill. The two consistently shutdown the oppositions top players and sacrificed their bodies to block shots. Other players on the Canadiens have said Gorges is one of the leaders in the room and at only 26 Gorges is ready to wear the C for a long time in Montreal.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Draft Smaft: Montreal Canadiens 1st Round Draft Woes

The key to building a winner in the NHL is through building through your own system and that starts with drafting. Look at the last few Stanley Cup winners for example, teams like Chicago using high picks on Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews not to mention stealing Duncan Keith in the 2nd round. Or the Pittsburgh Penguins selecting Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Jordan Staal in the 1st round. Drafting is the best way to acquire top players who will make up the core of your team. If you look at teams that are perennially at the bottom of the standings chances are the haven’t drafted well, teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs who are still rebuilding after the disaster that was JFJ’s tenure as GM where he constantly traded away 1st round picks/prospects for mediocre players. If the Leafs had have kept these picks they could have had players such as Tukka Rask in their system. Then you have teams that draft poorly but due to other acquisitions field a decent team, but with good drafting would be a much bigger threat, which brings us to the Montreal Canadiens.




During the Habs dynasty of the 1970’s most of the key players on those teams were acquired through the draft, the likes of Lafluer, Robinson (2nd round), Steve Shutt, Bob Gainey, etc. All Hall of Famers the Habs acquired through the rounds of the draft. The Canadiens haven’t won a cup since 1993 when they went on an incredible run lead by Patrick Roy. It’s not hard to see why the Habs haven’t had much success since then, you just have to look at their record when selecting in the 1st round.



The only real successful 1st round pick the Canadiens have made since their cup win in 1993 was in the 1993 draft when they selected Saku Koivu with the 21st overall selection. Koivu was the first ever European-born Captain of the Habs and he registered 191 goals and 641 points while playing in 792 games for the Habs. After Koivu though the Habs haven’t had a player they selected in the 1st round be a star that remains a mainstay with the club.



In the 1994 entry draft the Habs selected Brad Brown, a defenseman from the North Bay Centennials of the OHL. Brown played all of 13 games with the Canadiens never recording a point. Brown was the part of a 6 player deal that saw him traded to the Blackhawks. For the Canadiens next gem they selected Terry Ryan of the Tri-City Americans with the 8th overall pick in 1995. Ryan played a total of 8 games in his NHL career not recording a point. In 1996 the draft the Canadiens picked Matt Higgins with the 18th overall pick. Higgins played his junior hockey for the Moose Jaw Warriors. Higgins played 57 career games, all for the Habs tallying 1 goal and 2 assists. In the 1997 the Canadiens would select Jason Ward from the Erie Otters of the OHL 11th overall. In 105 career games for the Canadiens Ward would score 20 points before becoming a New York Ranger. In 1998 the Habs would go local selecting Quebec Rampart Eric Chouinard. Chouinard would play only 13 games for Montreal scoring 1 goal and adding 3 assists. The Habs did not have a 1st round selection in the 1999 entry draft.



The year 2000, the new millennium the Habs would start it off with a decent pick by the name of Ron Hainsey (13th overall). Hainsey played 32 career games for the Canadiens recording 2 points. Hainsey would later move onto Columbus and Atlanta where he has become a very capable NHL defenseman. The Canadiens had another selection in the year 2000 which was Marian’s brother, Marcel Hossa. Marcel played junior for the Portland Winter Hawks, and was selected 16th overall by the Habs. Hossa would play 59 games for the Canadiens scoring 19 points before becoming a NY Ranger. 2001 brought another year where the Canadiens had two 1st round picks. The first of which they used to select Mike Komisarek 7th overall from the University of Michigan. Komisarek played 361 games for the Habs scoring 58 points, though Komisarek is known for his physical defensive play more than his scoring. Komisarek would leave the Habs to sign a massive contract with the rival Maple Leafs after the 08-09 season. The Canadiens second selection of the 01’ draft was Alexander Perezhogin. Perezhogin would score 15 goals and 34 points in 128 career games for the Habs before leaving for the KHL to pursue more money. Then comes the 2002 entry draft where the Habs would select Chris Higgins 14th overall. Higgins would play in 282 games for the Canadiens scoring 162 points. Higgins was a 3 time 20 goal scorer but a nagging shoulder injury slowed him down before he was traded to the Rangers as a part of the Scott Gomez trade. The Habs next 1st round selection was in the 2003 draft when they selected Andrei Kostitsyn with the 10th overall pick. The Belarusian Kostitsyn has scored 141 points in 245 career games with the Habs but has not obtained the star status people had predicted. In 2004 the Habs would select Kyle Chipchura 18th overall. The former Prince Albert Raider would play 68 games for the Canadiens scoring 14 points before being traded to Anaheim for a 4th round pick in 2011. Chipchura was captain of the 2006 Canadian WJ team and was being breed to be a future captain of the Habs unfortunately that didn’t turn out.



The period from 2005 on we’ll call the recent years since it is too early to draw conclusions on the development of the players yet. In the 2005 entry draft, known as the Crosby sweepstakes the Canadiens landed the 5th pick in the lottery and used it to take Tri-City Americans goalie Carey Price. Price is now the undisputed #1 goalie in Montreal after the Jaroslav Halak trade. Price’s Career record is 60-48-18 but Price will need to return to the form he showed as a rookie for the Habs to have success this coming season. In 2006 the Canadiens selected David Fischer out of Apple Valley H.S. in Minnesota 20th overall. The Habs have announced they won’t be offering Fischer an entry level contract which is unprecedented for a 1st round selection, as Fischer’s game has rapidly digressed. The Canadiens again had two 1st round picks in 2007. They used the first on Ryan McDonagh out of Minnesota H.S. who they selected 12th overall. McDonagh is a promising defenseman but the he was also a part of the package the Habs shipped to the Rangers for Scott Gomez. With their second selection of the 07’ entry draft the Habs selected Max Pacioretty out of the University of Michigan with the 22nd overall pick. Pacioretty has scored 25 points in 86 career games with the Habs, but it appears the Canadiens may have rushed his development and they are now trying to take it slow as Max finished the year in the AHL last season. The Canadiens did not have a pick in the 1st round of the 2008 entry draft as they traded it away to acquire Alex Tanguay. The 2009 entry draft was held in Montreal as a part of the Centennial celebrations. The Habs selected Quebec-born Louis Leblanc with the 18th overall pick. Leblanc played last season at Harvard but has decided to play for the QMJHL’s Montreal Junior Canadiens this season in an effort to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors. Finally the Habs most recent 1st round pick was Jared Tinordi 22nd overall. Tinordi is a big bruising defenseman who will play for the London Knights of the OHL this season.



As you can see the Habs haven’t had much success since their cup win when it comes to drafting, though the jury is still out on many of their picks. This lack of success did lead to the overhauling of the Habs scouting department this offseason by GM Pierre Gauthier however. Most Stanley Cup winners have been built through drafting and are lead by a top 5 pick or another 1st round pick that became a star. The Canadiens should look at the formula of teams such as Carolina with top 5 pick Eric Staal leading the way or Anaheim with former top 5 picks Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer and 1st round selections such as Ryan Getzlaf and Corry Perry, or the similar methods used by Pittsburgh and Chicago to win the cup. Successful drafting wins championships; hopefully the Habs follow the blueprint.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Notre Dame Football: Five Players who will flourish Under Brian Kelly

Charlie Weis’ tenure as Head Coach of the Irish was an interesting one filled with ups and downs, but mostly downs. Downs such as devastating loses to Navy and not once beating USC during his time as Head Coach, but now it’s a new era. New Head Coach Brian Kelly was hired after rebuilding programs such as Central Michigan and most recently Cincinnati which he led to back to back Big East Championships. Kelly preaches strength and conditioning which should help the Irish late in games and late in the season, two areas in which they struggled during Weis’ tenure. This list will focus on five offensive players who for whatever reason found Coach Weis’ doghouse or weren’t given any playing time that will be key players for the Irish this season.






Jonas Gray: Gray is a talented Running-back that Coach Weis recruited out of the state of Michigan. Gray is entering his junior season for the Irish and has seen decent playing time in his two prior seasons. Gray saw his playing time reduced by Weis’ because of his issues when it comes to holding on to the football. All indications are that Gray has solved that problem and is displaying freakish speed during camp. Gray ran for 119 yards last season on 34 carries, look for him to drastically improve those totals and battle for many carries in a crowded Irish backfield.



Shaq Evans: Evans is a sophomore Wide Receiver that Weis’ recruited out of California known for his ability to make big plays. Evans saw action in each of the first five games of the season as well as versus Washington State. For unknown reasons Evans didn’t see the field in the last 4 games of the season, it’s rumored Evans was unhappy with the amount of touches he was getting and he had words with Weis’ leading to his cut in playing time. Evans had 7 receptions for 61 yards last season. Look for him to have a very productive year as likely the number two wide receiver behind Michael Floyd.



Mike Ragone: Ragone is a Senior Tight End from the state of New Jersey that was a very highly ranked recruit. Ragone played in all 12 of Notre Dame’s games but got limited touches and was used more heavily on Special Teams. Ragone missed all of his sophomore season due to injury which will likely lead to him receiving a medical exemption for another year. Ragone caught 6 passes for 60 yards last season. It doesn’t help Ragone’s numbers to be behind arguably the best Tight End in the nation in Kyle Rudolph but under Coach Kelly’s system Ragone should at least double his reception output from last season as Kelly likes to spread the ball around.



Theo Riddick: Riddick is a sophomore who played high school in New Jersey. Riddick is known for his quickness and elusiveness that allows him to make big plays. Riddick has completed the move from Running Back to Wide Receiver and should start in the slot position of Kelly’s offence. Riddick played in all 12 games last season but that was due to the fact he returned kicks, a duty that has now been given to Cierre Wood. Riddick ran for 160 yards on 29 carries and caught 6 passes for 43 yards. Look for Riddick to catch in the neighborhood of 50 passes and make many big plays for the Irish this year.



John Goodman: Goodman is a redshirt sophomore from Indiana who can use his speed to make big plays. Goodman played in 9 games last season catching 6 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Goodman also returned 5 punts for 56 yards, good for a stellar 11.2 average. Goodman has very good chemistry with Quarterback Dayne Crist and the two could combine for many big plays this season. Although Goodman likely won’t start at Wide Receiver he should be one of Coach Kelly’s first options off the bench and he should also see time in 5 wide sets. Look for Goodman to catch around 20 balls this season for a good amount of yards as well as factoring in to the return game a bit.



Just missed the Cut:



Cierre Wood: Wood is a redshirt freshman from California who thanks to his big play speed will be returning kickoffs this season. Wood is a super talented back who will push for carries but the backfield may be too crowded for Wood to be one of the top options, though he has the potential to do so this year.



Deion Walker: Walker is a junior from Virginia who didn’t see any action in his freshman season but played in 5 games in his sophomore year catching 1 pass for 15 yards. Walker will have to battle for playing time with other talented Wide Receivers. Although Walker should factor in to the Irish offence this season he might be a year away from being a big time player in it.



Duval Kumara: Given every opportunity by Coach Weis the senior from New Jersey just can’t seem to step up to be the a top Wide Out like everyone had hoped. Kumara played in all 12 games last season catching 23 passes for 218 yards and a TD. Kumara has already been in some trouble with Coach Kelly over his work ethic and every indication is he has been passed on the depth chart by Shaq Evans as well as freshman standout TJ Jones.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Still Waiting on a Deal: The Top NHL RFA’s

Bobby Ryan: A former 2nd overall pick behind Sidney Crosby in the 2005 NHL draft Bobby Ryan is a full of potential. The 23 year old right winger plays the style of a natural power forward taking full advantage of his 6’2’’ 205 lbs frame. Ryan has scored over 30 goals in each of the past 2 seasons and played on the USA Olympic team this past season. There are Rumors that Ryan is unhappy in Anaheim but look for him and the Ducks to eventually agree on a 5 year deal around the $5 million a year range.




Marc Staal: The former Sudbury Wolves product was selected by the Rangers 12th overall in the 2005 draft and is coming off his best year in the NHL. The 23 year old Staal played in all 82 games last season for the Rangers scoring 8 goals and adding 19 assists for 27 points. Staal is a big 6’4’’ 209 lbs D-man that can shutdown the oppositions top players every night. Rangers GM Glen Sather has already stated he will match any offer sheet on Staal so it looks as though he will stay a Ranger.



Carey Price: After trading Jaroslav Halak it’s clear that Carey Price is the goalie of the future in Montreal. At 23 Price has accomplished many things including winning CHL goalie of the year, a World Junior Gold Medal, a Calder Cup, and has played on an all-star team as well as being all rookie 1st team in his first season in the league after being drafted 5th overall in 2005. In his career Price has gone 60-48-18 with a 2.73 GAA which isn’t stellar but is solid. Price and the Habs are currently in a snag in discussions over both the money and the term as it is unclear if Price wants a 1 or 2 year deal or a long term 5 year contract since there have been conflicting reports on the matter. Also the Canadiens have little cap space so they are trying to sign Price for something around 2.5-2.75 million per season.



Steve Downie: Originally drafted by the Flyers 29th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft Downie was much talked about for his “Dirty” style of play which it seems he is holding in check now. Downie was traded by the Flyers to Tampa Bay in the 08-09 season where he was seemed to have found a home. Downie enjoyed by far his best season last year scoring 22 goals and adding 24 assists for 46 points while playing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. Downie appears to be able to keep his aggression in check and play with an edge that makes him very hard to play against. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman has said he wants to sign Downie as soon as possible.



Patric Hornqvist: A steal at 230th overall in the 05 entry draft Patric Hornqvist had a big year last season and is looking for a raise. Hornqvist scored 30 goals last season and had 51 points as well as being a +18. Hornqvist was also a member of the Swedish Olympic team. The 23 year old Hornqvist will likely sign for similar money to that of Matt Moulson and Mason Raymond (about 2.5 million per season).


James Neal: Neal was picked in the 2nd round of the 05 draft 33rd overall. The 22 year old left winger was brought up in many trade rumors with the Maple Leafs Thomas Kaberle although nothing materialized. Neal increased all his stats from the 08-09 season to the 09-10 season going from 24 goals to 27, 13 assists to 28, and 37 points to 55, as well as going from a -11 to a -5 and playing in one more game (78vs77). Look for Neal to also sign for around 2.5 million per season.



Sam Gagner: A former London Knights standout the 20 year old Gagner has put up three consecutive years of 40 plus points and is extremely gifted with the puck. Selected 6th overall in the 2007 entry draft Gagner’s 131 career points are 2nd only to his formers London Knights teammate Patrick Kane for players from the 07 draft. Gagner has had 41 points in his last 2 years in the NHL but last year he did so in 8 fewer games. At 20 Gagner fits right in with the youth movement/rebuilding going on in Edmonton right now so he should defiantly be signed soon.



Niclas Bergfors: Bergfors, a Swedish international was traded to Atlanta as a part of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade in February of last season. Bergfors was drafted by the Devils with the 23rd pick in the 2005 NHL draft. Bergfors scored 21 goals and had 44 points last season in 81 games between New Jersey and Atlanta. Bergfors has a ton of potential so expect the Thrashers to get him signed though it will likely be a cheaper contract.



Peter Mueller: Colorado acquired Mueller from Phoenix at the trade deadline last season and he instantly made an impact. After tallying only 17 points in 54 games in Phoenix he put up 20 points in 15 games for the Avalanche. Mueller was originally picked by Phoenix 8th overall in the 2006 entry draft, Mueller may finally be living up to the potential Phoenix saw when using the 8th overall pick on him after he had an impressive junior career for Everett of the WHL.



Honorable Mention: Bryan Little and Chris Stewart

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Habs Sign Louis Leblanc

Today the Montreal Canadiens signed their first round pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft Louis Leblanc. The Habs drafted Leblanc 18th overall in 2009. Leblanc played the 08-09 season with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL where he amassed 28 goals and 59 points in 60 GP. Last season Leblanc played for the Harvard Crimson of the ECAC where the 6’1’’ 186 lbs centre racked up 11 goals and 23 points in 31 games. Those totals were good enough for Leblanc to win Ivy League rookie of the year.


Leblanc has decided to leave the Crimson this season to play with the QMJHL’s Montreal Junior Canadiens. Leblanc stated he made this decision in order to play near his home town of Kirkland, Quebec and be near his pro team the Habs. Another reason Leblanc said he made this decision was to play more games in an attempt to make Team Canada’s World Junior team roster. Leblanc was one of the final cuts along with Tyler Seguin of the 2009 silver medal winning team but he hopes to make it this year as it is his last year of eligibility. Leblanc has been invited to participate in the team evaluation camp.



With the Canadiens signing Leblanc to the 3 year entry level contract he is eligible to play in the NHL or AHL next season. However it is unlikely Leblanc makes the roster of either the Habs or Bulldogs as the Canadiens organization would rather he mature by playing another year of Junior Hockey.